After failing to win Singapore, he angrily announced his retirement from the national team due to self-blame, causing an uproar, and after half a month, Zhang Linpeng, the captain of the national football team, accepted an exclusive interview with the Phoenix network program "Phoenix Family Stand", confiding in the outside world the most true heart.
Talking about the sudden announcement of his retirement from the national team after the match against Singapore
I've been thinking about it for a long time, since the end of the game until I took a shower in the dressing room, and then I walked out, and there was a long time for me to think about it, maybe for everyone, this way is not right, and I myself now feel that it is not right to solve this problem in this way, but this is really one of the truest thoughts in my heart.
Did you talk to your teammates in the locker room? No. Generally, there is very little communication after losing, that is, everyone is depressed. It was a draw, but it was like a loss for us.
Talk about how you felt after that game
It may be the first time that I feel that I can't explain to myself. Because it had never felt this way before. Did Wang Tao take the initiative to ask me or did I take the initiative to say that? He called me over at the time, and then he just said those words.
About when to communicate with my wife
After saying these words, it's time to get out of the mixed zone and go back to the team's bus. At that time, my wife said that she thought I might be a little too excited. But in fact, I didn't say these words because of emotional fluctuations, but after thinking about it carefully. I think during this period, not only in this World Cup qualifiers, but also in the previous Asian Cup, there was a lot of pressure on the team.
Sometimes there is a feeling that the team can't breathe, and everyone actually wants to play well. But in this environment, under this pressure, you may not be able to play your true level. So I think it's just my own mistake, and then I should take this opportunity to help everyone spread some of the pressure.
Talk about communication with coaches
The coach also came to Tianjin and talked to me about it, and he said that you make this decision, first of all, as a coach, he still respects me, but he wants me to be able to play the second leg with the team against Singapore. I said it's okay, I'm just listening to the team's arrangement. As for whether to play or not, this must still be arranged by the coach.
Regarding whether the career of the national brand has basically ended
I tell the truth from my heart, being able to fight for the country has always been the goal of the struggle. As you know, I have kept a diary since I was a child, and everyone knows that when I was very young, I set a big goal for myself, that is, to enter the Chinese national team in the future. But after all these years, and then playing 105 games for the national team, I still have that idea, which is to give everything for the national team.
But being responsible for the team, then being responsible for my team-mates, and then I feel like maybe I'm in some games, at right-back, maybe it's not a good fit for me right now, and it's a rational idea to quit the country.
Talk about the pressure to fight for your country
I'm not a person who scrolls through social media on a daily basis, almost none. Where did you feel the pressure? I felt the pressure from my teammates and then from the preparation of everyone, and I think I could really feel the pressure from everyone, especially after the pandemic.
Talk about the specific times you feel stressed
It was after the last round of 12, because it was true that the epidemic in the past two years had a particularly big impact on the team, we didn't have the opportunity to go out to play, and then the training camp of the entire national team was sometimes once or twice a year. Then there is the epidemic, during that time, our home stadium was still in West Asia, which had a very big impact on our overall situation. Then when we opened the door and there was an international game, it was like watching the other teams and suddenly it was a big improvement.
Talk about the atmosphere when the team is in the belt
What manifests itself in emotions and feelings, you can't explain in words. As far as the situation was concerned, you could really see from the performance on the pitch, we just dared to do it. Now it feels like everyone is carrying a heavy burden to the game. Like when we won against South Korea, we almost drew with Iran away from home, we played very well, but now we always feel like something is wrong, that's the feeling.
About the different feelings of each World Preliminary Championship
In fact, this feeling may become more and more unforgettable in the future. Because after all, now every time I play for the national team, what do I think? Because I just play every game as if it were my last.
Talking about physical condition, what injections need to be given before each game
Just the injection of Futarin. Is there a difference between it and blocking? It is different from blocking, it is different, it is directly hitting your pain point, but there will be great side effects, and some places cannot be hit. But it's okay like Futarin, this one is spanking.
Talk about how to balance your body and game when you are injured
As I've gotten older, sometimes I'm really struggling with what you're talking about. First of all, you want to play, and then sometimes the team may need you, and in this case, you may not be physically able to go to the game. But it also has a lot to do with the habits when I was a child, because at that time, I was on Director Xu's side, and Director Xu was very strict with us, and he wouldn't let you rest if you were a little uncomfortable. Director Xu said that as long as you keep bones, you have to be on the field all the time, standing on the field, and then developed this habit from that time.
Memories of playing for the national team
Except for the moments when you win the championship, it must be the moments when you make mistakes. Other times, I don't think the memory I have is very deep. Because I demand a lot of myself every day. I train and compete to that standard every day. So just like a normal person goes to work every day, he goes through these roads every day, and then he does these things, he is used to it, and then he will only say that there are some happy things or unhappy things, so that he will remember them in his mind.
What are the happiest things about the national team? There are very few happy things, and that is when I first entered the national team. Then in 2010, we won the East Asian semi-finals, and I was very impressed at that time, because after all, we had just entered the national team, and then we defeated South Korea, drew with Japan, won against Hong Kong, and finally won the championship, which was very impressive at that time.
About just a few years, China is getting more and more far behind other countries
I think this is really multifaceted. From the perspective of each of us, the standards and standards that each of us has for ourselves, and then the standards and standards that the team has for you after returning to the team, I think this has a great impact on a player. Because you don't just play at the national team level, you have to come back to the club and represent the club because it's a cross-year game. During the year, if the level of your training and the level of your game are lowered, when you come back to the national team, you will feel that the gap has widened significantly.
Let's not talk about the technical level, but from this rhythm, it is obviously different. In the past, you could still play in the AFC Champions League, but now you play less in the AFC Champions League, and then you feel less of this rhythm, and suddenly you go to this international competition, and sometimes you can't keep up with that rhythm.
On how to balance the club with the national team
Speaking from my own heart, Evergrande gave me so much salary at that time, but I was still very happy and excited to have the opportunity to be called up for a national brand. I remember once or twice, when Camacho had just taken over, maybe because of an injury, and then I didn't play a couple of games at the club, and then he didn't come to me for a period of national team training, and I was just very depressed. That's the feeling that all players who play for their country should have in their hearts.
As for whether it is acceptable to be a substitute
Probably not acceptable. If the coach had really put me on the bench for a long time, I would have just chosen to retire.
Talk about how to digest the moment of failure
There is nothing to digest. What happened yesterday can't be said to be solved, but today I have actually turned the page and met a new day. As long as I give my best or 100% of myself, and be worthy of myself, I think it's okay.
talked about the struggle for one or two decades, but still could not help the Chinese team enter the World Cup
As you said, this problem not only exists in me, but also in many players, and then they all have such a goal, that is, they hope that the Chinese team can enter the World Cup, but after so many years, there are many people who have not completed this dream, until now, maybe I am about to retire. And then there are some young players in the back, and they're probably going to make that their biggest goal.
Just like Director Xu said, it's the foolish man who moves mountains. If we don't do it, we leave it to the people behind us, and everyone makes it their primary goal. I feel like it will be done someday.
About the meaning of the words on the sneakers
这是意大利语,STRENGTH就是力量,WISDOM是信念,BALANCE是平衡。 DON'T LET THE GLORY OF THE PAST OVERSHADOW THE EFFORTS OF THE PRESENT这句话是:不要让过往的荣誉掩盖住现在的努力。